A Heartbeat Away by S. Dionne Moore ~ Litfuse Blog Tour with review

When a band of runaway slaves brings Union-loyal Beth Bumgartner a wounded Confederate soldier named Joe, it is the catalyst that pushes her to defy her pacifist parents and become a nurse during the Battle of Antietam.

Her mother’s mysterious goodbye gift is filled with quilt blocks that bring comfort to Beth during the hard days and lonely nights, but as she sews each block, she realizes there is a hidden message of faith within the pattern that encourages and sustains her. Reunited with Joe, Beth learns his secret and puts the quilt’s message to its greatest test—but can betrayal be forgiven?

Purchase a copy of "A Heartbeat Away" here.

AHeartbeatAway - Medium from S. Dionne Moore on Vimeo.

My take on this book:

It's during the midst of the civil war and Beth Bumgartner feels that perhaps she can be useful as a nurse, a dream that she has clung to for a while. She goes to stay with her grandmother Gerta in Sharpsburg, with the plan of joining The Army of the Potomac to work with  Clara Barton. When slaves bring an injured soldier to her grandmother's home for help,Beth isn't really keen on the idea, after all she supports the north, but this soldier is a southerner. What she learns though is that Joe, the injured soldier was hurt while trying to protect blacks. As Beth gets to know Joe her feelings change for him. Beth learns that it doesn't matter which side you are on, union or confederate, if a soldier is wounded you help him. 

I love stories that take place during the civil war, and this one drew me in from the beginning! The characters were wonderful. I loved Beth, while she had issues with self image, she didn't feel attractive because of a limp. Quilt pieces from her mother add another layer to this story. As Beth pieces together the quilt she finds herself letting go of hurts and finding hope. It was interesting to see her blossom and change as the story progressed. Gerta, her grandmother was a favorite character of mine, full of wisdom, and unafraid to say what she thought. Joe is dealing with issues of his own, issues that he needs answers to. The historical aspects of this story was very well done, the author hit the perfect blend of history and great character storyline to pull me in and keep me reading!  Anyone who enjoys history, a splash of mystery, romance, fantastic characters, along with a nice inspirational thread woven into the books they read will want to pick up "A Heartbeat Away."

A complimentary copy of this book was provided for review.

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About the author:

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Dionne Moore is a historical romance author who resides in South Central PA with her family, surrounded by the beautiful Cumberland Valley and lots of fun, historically rich locations. She is a weekly contributor to "The Borrowed Book", a blog for book-lovers and "Cozy Mystery Magazine", for all things cozy mystery.